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Marc RaimondiESPN
One of the top prospects in MMA history is making a move to one of the sport’s most renowned training camps.
Bellator’s Aaron Pico will be changing gyms to JacksonWink MMA, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the home of stars like Jon Jones and Holly Holm, sources told ESPN. Pico is expected to start his camp at the facility soon, ahead of a targeted fight at Bellator 222 on June 14 at New York’s Madison Square Garden, sources said. No opponent has been named yet.
Pico, 22, is one of the most vaunted prospects ever in mixed martial arts, with a high-level background in both boxing and wrestling. Pico came within points of making the 2016 Summer Olympics in wrestling and is a former national junior Golden Gloves champion.
In 2017, Pico made his MMA debut for Bellator at 20 years old, falling to Zach Freeman by first-round submission. He then won four straight, all by violent, first-round knockout. Pico (4-2) is coming off a knockout loss in his last fight to Henry Corrales at Bellator 214 in January.
Pico, a California native, had been training with Team Bodyshop in Lakewood, California, boxing with Freddie Roach at Wildcard Gym in Hollywood, and doing his strength and conditioning at The Treigning Lab in Laguna Hills, California.
Under JacksonWink head coaches Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn, Jones, the current UFC light heavyweight champion, became the youngest champion in UFC history at 23 years old in 2011. Holm is a former UFC women’s bantamweight champion, and JacksonWink MMA has been home to a host of other big names, like Georges St-Pierre, Michelle Waterson, Donald Cerrone and more.